The present invention relates to a ventilated or aerated case, made of corrugated cardboard or other like material, specifically designed for carrying and exhibiting at a sell point a broad range of goods, and, in particular, fruit and vegetable products.
Prior corrugated cardboard cases, conventionally used for carrying and exhibiting fruit and vegetable products, have been made starting from a flat corrugated cardboard sheet element, which is so folded and glued to provide a case delimited by a pair of rectangular-shape transversal heads, opposite to one another and separated by two longitudinal sides, which are called "sidewalls". The central portion of the cardboard sheet element forms the bottom of the case.
The end portions of the cardboard sheet element, provided for forming the transversal or cross heads, are further folded in order to form substantially horizontal wings or flaps projecting to the side of the case and adapted to facilitate the stacking of a plurality of cases storing therein the desired products, for transportation and exhibiting purposes.
The above mentioned cases are broadly used in the fruit and vegetable product field, alternately to conventional wood cases, and are used as follows: they are filled with loose products, for example apples, pears, oranges, tomatoes, and so on, or they are filled by small baskets of plastic materials, in turn holding the products and forming a packaged selling unit, specifically designed for holding small-size products, such as apricots, plums, strawberries, and so on.
In the first type of application, the case is exhibited at the selling point, whereas in the second application, the case operates exclusively as an over-package for transportation purposes, whereas at the selling point are exhibited only the plastic material baskets, the case being disposed of.
A limitation of the above mentioned prior cases is that air is hindered from properly circulating therein, thereby the products are subjected to a quick spoiling.
Another problem is that of a poor visibility of the products held in said cases.
Moreover, in harsh use conditions, the above mentioned cases are subjected to mechanical failures at the head portions thereof, which head portions have a bearing function, with a consequent bulging of the product holding bottom.